Helium Facts for Kids

Helium Periodic Table
  • Name: Helium
  • Symbol: He
  • Atomic Number: 2
  • Atomic Weight: 4.002602 u
  • Period: 1
  • Group: 18

24 Helium Facts for Kids

  1. Helium is a chemical element on the periodic table.
  2. Helium is a non-toxic gas that is odorless, tasteless and colorless.
  3. Helium was first observed in the solar spectrum as a bright yellow line by both French astronomer Jules Janssen and English astronomer Norman Lockyer in 1868.
  4. Helium was first isolated by Scottish chemist William Ramsay and separately by Swedish chemists Per Teodor Cleve and Abraham Langlet in 1895.
  5. Helium is a gas at room temperature.
  6. The symbol for helium is He.
  7. The atomic number for helium is 2.
  8. The standard atomic weight of helium is 4.002602 u.
  9. Helium is in the noble gas group on the periodic table.
  10. Helium is a period 1 chemical element, which is the first row on the periodic table.
  11. Helium is a group 18 chemical element, which is the noble gases group.
  12. Helium two stable isotopes and they are helium-3 (3H) and helium-4 (4H).
  13. The melting point for helium is -457.96 °F (-272.20 °C).
  14. The boiling point for helium is -452.070 °F (268.928 °C).
  15. Helium is the 2nd lightest element on the periodic table.
  16. Helium is the 2nd most abundant element found in the universe.
  17. While helium is abundant throughout the universe, it’s considered rare on Earth.
  18. Most of the helium found on Earth was formed from radioactive decay.
  19. In 2014, the world produced 70.5 million pounds of helium.
  20. Out of the 70.5 million pounds of helium produced in 2014, 22.5 million pounds of it was used in cryogenic applications.
  21. In 2014, the United States of America was the largest producer of helium and accounts for 40% of the world supply.
  22. Because helium is lighter than air, it can give things lift, like a balloon or blimp.
  23. Helium dating is a processed used to determine the age of rocks and materials.
  24. Helium is named after Helios, the Greek Titan of the Sun.

Additional Resources on Helium

  • Helium – RSC – Get more facts about helium on the Royal Society of Chemistry website.
  • Helium – JLabs – Explore the Jefferson Science Education website to find out more about helium.
  • Helium – Britannica – Discover more about the chemical element helium on the Britannica website.
  • Helium Facts – Find more helium facts for kids on the Live Science website.

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